The Shryke
Butcher of the Sky
While some have said the Shryke resembles a vulture, it is not wise to write this predator off as a carrion bird. While the Shryke is more than happy to consume a corpse it finds dangling from a branch or lodged in a trap, the Shryke is often what put the corpse there in the first place.
The Shryke persistently hunts, and if it finds something it can eat it will kill it-- whether it's hungry or not. It does so by swooping down from above at high velocity, smashing into their target with their surprising weight. This can be enough to stun their target, giving them an opportunity to grab their prey and take flight once more. This allows them to pick off an individual from a pack, & sets them up for the killing blow.
They'll use their impeccable eyesight to position themselves directly above a barren tree, sharp rocks, abandoned trap, or pointed ruins. When the shot is perfectly lined up, they'll let go of their prey, impaling them on the hazards below. If the fall doesn't kill their prey, it will have no difficulty in doing so itself with its sharp beak. The Shryke will leave the corpse hanging, which has a few benefits.
Firstly, this preserves the meat as the blood is drained; This gruesome sight is what earned the Shryke the moniker- Butcher of the Sky. Secondly, it keeps their food out of reach of other carnivores who like to steal meals, such as Owlbears. Most curiously, some Shrykes will even keep their prey alive a little longer, so long as it remains trapped in place. It then uses this poor creature as bait, its yells for help luring in another meal.
A Tale of Two Birds
While the tail & wings are very wyvern-esque, the Shryke's behavior & head are derived from two real-world birds!
The Bone Eating Vulture. This carrion bird is known for dropping their prey from great heights to crack open tough shells or break them into smaller, easier to swallow parts. As well, they have a really cool look to them, and inspired the head of the Shryke!
The Shrike (not to be confused with the Shryke).
This bird (also known as a Butcher Bird) dive bombs their prey to snap their necks/spines, then picks them up and hangs them in trees by piercing their bodies with sharp branches... sound familiar? Yup, nature is scary! Good thing the real-life butcher-bird is small enough to fit in your hand, and can't take down anything larger than a rabbit.
Together these birds make for a terrifying monster;
Your party will forever fear the skies.
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Shryke
Large monstrosity, unaligned
- Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
- Hit Points 133 (14d10 + 44)
- Speed 20 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA 24 (+7) 6 (-2) 18 (+4) 8 (-1) 10 (+0) 6 (-2)
- Saving Throws Dex +1, Con +7, Wis +3, Cha +1
- Skills Perception +6
- Senses passive Perception 13
- Challenge 6 (2,300 XP) Prof. Bonus +3 Spice: 2
Keen Sight. The Shryke has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Actions
Multiattack. The Shryke makes two attacks: one with its beak and one with its talons.
Peck. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 16 (2d8 + 7) piercing damage.
Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 14 (2d6 + 7) slashing damage, and the target is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the Shryke can't use its talons on another target.
Plummeting Strike. Targeting a creature that is at least 30 ft below it, the Shryke folds in its wings & dives, crashing into them. That creature must make a DC 15 Strength Save. On a failed save, that creature takes 36 (8d8) Bludgeoning damage and is stunned & knocked prone. On a successful save, the creature takes half this damage and is moved to an adjacent, unoccupied space.
Impaling Fall. The Shryke aims at a hazard beneath it, dropping the creature it is carrying onto it. The creature takes fall damage as usual (d6 per 10ft dropped, max 20d6), but the damage is considered Piercing, and the creature is impaled on the hazard. While Impaled in this way, the creature is considered Restrained by the hazard (Strength check to escape, DC 15).
How the Shryke Hunts (D&D 5e)
Firstly, position the Shryke flying several hundred feet above the party. Unless they specify they're looking straight up, they won't see it. They might see some remnants of the Shryke's last hunt-- perhaps a few corpses on trees, regurgitated bones, or even a barely-alive person stuck to a tree and calling for help. If they heal them in time, perhaps they even get a warning before the Shryke strikes (if they're unaware of the threat, you may want to call for a surprise roll).
The Shryke opens up with Plummeting Strike, quickly closing distance & stunning a party member. It then can Peck at a party member to deal a little extra damage to them before using its talons to grab the Stunned person. It then flies off with the grappled creature. Note that moving with a grappled creature reduces your movement speed by half, unless that creature is 2 sizes smaller than you. Since the Shryke is large, aiming for the party Halfling might be a good choice, otherwise you'll have to make due with the 40ft fly speed.
Once you're 150ft away, even the party Longbow will have trouble hitting you, though your grappled foe will likely be trying to dislodge themself (unless they're smart enough to realize you don't want to kill the thing that's carrying you 100ft up). After a bit, have the Shryke use Impaling Strike to aim & drop the prey onto something nasty-- pointy trees, jagged ruins, old traps/pitfalls make good choices. This will probably drop them to 0hp, and they're alone, far away from their party. The absolute drama of asking them to roll 3 death saves in a row will be tense; you can even roll these yourself so the party doesn't know their fate!
Either way, they're unconscious, and by the time the party finds them, the Shryke will have had a short rest, healing up to 14d10hp. It circles above again, ready for another Plummeting Strike, but this time it stands its ground & uses its Beak & Talons to defend its kill.
If it begins its turn with very little health remaining, it will fly away, choosing to lose a meal to keep its life.
For more D&D 5e and Pathfinder 2e monsters
How the Shryke Hunts (PF2e)
Firstly, position the Shryke flying several hundred feet above the party. Unless they specify they're looking straight up, they won't see it. They might see some remnants of the Shryke's last hunt-- perhaps a few corpses on trees, regurgitated bones, or even a barely-alive person stuck to a tree and calling for help. If they heal them in time, perhaps they even get a warning before the Shryke strikes (if they're unaware of the threat, the Shryke may roll Stealth for initiative).
The Shryke opens up with Plummeting Strike, quickly closing distance & possibly stunning a party member, but likely knocking them prone. So long as that Talons strike hit, you can then use your next action to Grab them automatically. Soon as you can-- fly off with them!
Once you're far enough away, even the party Longbow will have trouble hitting you, though your grappled foe will likely be trying to dislodge themself (unless they're smart enough to realize you don't want to kill the thing that's carrying you 100ft up). After a bit, have the Shryke use Impaling Strike to aim & drop the prey onto something nasty-- pointy trees, jagged ruins, old traps/pitfalls make good choices. This will probably drop them to 0hp, and they're alone, far away from their party. The absolute drama of asking them to roll death saves will be tense; you can even roll these yourself so the party doesn't know their fate!
Either way, they're unconscious, and by the time the party finds them, the Shryke has prepared. It circles above again, ready for another Plummeting Strike, but this time it stands its ground after plummeting, using its Beak & Talons to defend its kill.
If it begins its turn with very little health remaining, it will fly away, choosing to lose a meal to keep its life.
Shryke CREATURE 9
Peck
2d10+13
Talons (reach 10ft)
2d12+17 plus Grab
Targeting a creature that is at least 30 ft below it, the Shryke folds in its wings & dives, crashing into them. Make a Talons Strike against them. If it hits, they must make a Fortitude Save (DC 21). The Shryke aims at a hazard beneath it, dropping the creature it is carrying onto it. The creature takes fall damage as usual, but the damage is considered Piercing, and the creature is impaled on the hazard. While Impaled in this way, the creature is considered Restrained by the hazard (Escape DC 18, unless they land on a specific hazard with a higher DC).